NOTA party would empower voters: Candidate

Voters need tools to better control how we nominate local candidates, formulate major party policies and elect people to represent us who will have to keep their promises or be held accountable, long before the next election.

The None Of The Above party campaigns for the 3Rs of direct democracy – referendum, recall and real electoral and legislative reforms that give voters control of politicians and parties. Candidates are accountable to their constituents and there are no central party policies or controls of elected MPPs beyond the binding direct democracy principles.

There is another option for people who want a choice other than to vote for any of the big party candidates or to give up their right to cast a secret ballot by having to publicly decline their ballots, a choice that makes their vote count for a real change.

None of the Above is part of a worldwide movement of new and independent parties and candidates campaigning for direct democracy and voter empowerment policies supported by voters and non-voters alike.

The None Of The Above direct democracy party of Ontario has a candidate list that is filling up with competent people that could effectively run the Ontario government.

If elected, we would start by asking the best MPPs from all parties to join our cabinet while allowing them to sit with the parties who elected them. We would change the partisan party-based for a system of politicking forever in Ontario in one term.

In the first 100 days, we would pass every bill where there is agreement or consensus among most MPPs from all the parties elected.

Then, within the first six months, we will send out a plebiscite information package on everything proposed by the government and its opposition, to voters who must reply within 30 days for the legislature to consider. We will consult experts.

We will spend the next six months passing bills with the most public and MPP support from the parties in the house. From then on NOTA would allow referendum or recall to decide everything else that we would pass using our majority.

If you do nothing different, nothing different will happen.

Ten Questions with David Sylvestre

1. Why are you running?

I am running because I care about working to find better ways of doing things. This is not to say that I think the other candidates don’t care; it is that they don’t care to support a way of holding elected officials accountable for what they say they are going to do when campaigning. I care about transitioning our representational dictatorship we call democracy into a real democracy by allowing us to vote on serious issues like should we sell things like Ontario Hydro or how much we should pay our politicians or people to run Crown corporations. I feel direct democracy is the best way to support the future health and wellbeing of life in Sudbury. The party system does not allow its elected members to support the best interest of the people of their riding.

2. What are your qualifications for political office?

I care to evolve our political system into being more democratic.

3. What makes you stand out from the other candidates in your riding?

My priorities are to address the systemic design limiting us to a very corrupt representational dictatorship, which is truly a false democracy. I want the people of Sudbury to have a real say on the issues we face.

4. What are your top priorities?

My priority is evolving our democracy to the next level by adding accountability for the promises being made during an election campaign.

5. Northern Ontario has struggled economically compared to other parts of the province. How would you change that?

We would put forth various options like raising the royalties corporations pay for the resources they extract, or taxing the corporation’s profits as a way of equalizing economic disparities between Northern and southern Ontario. We would entertain all ideas as to how to equalize the distribution of wealth in our province and put it to a vote for the people to decide.

6. Should Northern Ontario be given more power to control its affairs?

Yes. This is what the NOTA party is all about. The Consensus party is also about giving all voters the option to vote for independent representation and not a party ideology, which is not always in the best interest of all the ridings.

7. What would you do with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund?

We would ask the people what they think we should do with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and do the will of the majority.

8. What are your thoughts on the Ring of Fire?

The Ring of Fire is a very lucrative resource for all concerned. The corporations want public money to create the infrastructure, so we will ask the people how much, or if any, public money should go to supporting the development of the Ring of Fire. And should the people decide to invest in the infrastructure, we would ask the people what type of return on investment they should receive in the way of future taxation or royalty fees. Only if the people decide we should give the corporation a free ride, would a NOTA government give corporations a free ride.

9. Are you committed to finishing the four-laning of Highway 69?

Yes.

10. How would you improve health care in Sudbury?

I personally would focus on prevention and reversal of disease and end the for-profit sick care currently being offered through pharmacare. There is no money in a cure or reversal of diseases and so the government needs to step up and provide the incentives to create a true health-care system that works to maintains our health. We cannot blame the pharmaceutical corporations for looking to profit from our illnesses and suffering, as profit is the aim of all corporations and no ethical concerns need be considered other than not breaking any laws of the land.

David Sylvestre is the candidate for None Of The Above direct democracy party in Sudbury.